Goings On - Keeping in touch

April 13, 2009

So after waiting 20 minutes, I finally got a train to work. It's impossible to plan to get a train on time, because sometimes trains just don't want to turn up. But enough of my whinging, what's been going on?

Finally found a place that is open past 2 am here. So Saturday night was a big night. Didn't get to bed until 5 in the morning. Probably a good thing the place didn't serve drinks, else my hangover would have been even worse... It had really cool music though, and got to meet the dj there. Might have to go back some time.

Had an Easter lunch with a workmate's family yesterday, which was really nice. It's good to see that most families are as crazy as mine. Didn't to church yesterday, which caused an awkward silence among the family when they asked if I did. I wonder if I could have diffused the situation by saying I was praying to the Porcelin God?

Other than that it's business as usual. The game is going well. I'll get started on getting the dog into the game Kevin. It's probably a good start for me to work on the games AI...

March 31, 2009

From: Nathan.
To: Family and friends at home.
Subject: Improv In Boston gets an A+ from me.

So this weekend, went out to the Improv asylum in the north end. Pretty damn funny. These guys can just bust out jokes from nothing but the seat of their pants and the scrawl written by some joker in the crowd. They offer lessons too, so that would be very interesting.

Got off my lazy butt and started looking into doing some volunteering again. A Rotary Club that meets after business hours has finally popped up, so I'm hoping I can get to those. Also hoping to become a volunteer for the GOTO group, as I really need to do more community work.

Also did a bit more on the game. Nothing worth showing yet. Hopefully have something worth showing by the end of April. The newway of doing graphics with WPF is easy to learn, but hard to tweak to be fast. All I know is that I need to always use the "Dispatcher" class to do any graphics changes...

March 24, 2009

From: Nathan
To: Family And friends at home.
Subject: How's the weather down there? Cause it's bloody awful up here.

Guess the temperature yesterday? -2 celcius. Bloody hell. We get a nice semi fridgid weekend, and have it blown away by freezing cold yesterday.

But that's enough about the weather. Things are pretty slow around here at the moment. St. Patty's day was pretty fun, had a pretty unproductive weekend, and did a couple of additions to my game while playing faaaaar too many other ones. Really got to stop doing that. There's a couple of cool ones, which I might link to when I get out of this subway.

But that's about it. I'm more interested in what is going on with you guys, soooooo WASSUP?

March 12, 2009

So everyone
makes New Years Resolutions, but do people really stick to them? It's a lot the
same as the GQM charts that the Leadership Academy kids do. It's
great to make the goals up, but sometimes you forget about them. It's always
good to print your goals out and put them somewhere, so you don't lose sight of
them. Like when your goal is to lose weight, and you decide at 2am in the
morning that Cheesy bread is the most healthy thing you can eat right now.

Let's see
how far they are going along:

1. Lose
about 10-15 kilograms / 20-30 pounds. – Started at 215- now I'm 205. Getting
closer..
2. Keep in contact with people from Perth more often. – Mmmmm. Damn. Sorta.3. Get to the GQM goals I've set for myself. Hah, I still need to print these
out…4. Instead of playing video games, I want to develop one this year, two if I'm
lucky. – About to get started on one, as I need to learn about the new WPF
technology that Microsoft is using these days.5. Ditto for medical software. Gotta start making my own IP. – Ditto, another
WPF thing here.6. Save at least $300 a month. This should be possible now with the move to a
different place. –Going pretty well. Can probably save more.7. Join a sports team (maybe Aussie Rules, maybe dragon boating.) – Joined a
running club, so that's going well. Might join the Aussie rules club soon too,
if I can get out there.8. Join a volunteer organization/start doing more volunteering. (Peferrably at
an Elder Care Center or Hospital) – This one is damn tough, almost joining something. Just gotta
send an email…

The past
two months had me with some random bug I've almost gotten rid of, so it's made
it pretty hard to really do anything decently. With that almost gone (thanks to
the power of the disgusting nasal rinse – don't ask) I can start being a bit
more productive.

March 04, 2009

From: Nathan
To: Friends and family at home.
Subject: I think I should plant a tree.

Why? I think I've blown my nose enough times in the past two weeks to at least take down two. I've got through two tissue boxes, and will probably go through one more before the end of this week. The cold has almost gone through. Definately a good thing, as I'm pretty sure that KK's sick of it by now.

Writing this on the T at the moment. I usually base how my day will go on how the trip is. Didn't get a seat. While definately have the ability to pull tip #4 at the moment, I don't think it's really a good idea, this train is packed. And it's not something I'd do in real life. So if you're a potential employer and you are reading this, it's ok, I'm normal.

Got the year review (finally) tomorrow. Should go well.

Oh yeah, in the past two days we got 30cm of snow. Guess I forgot to mention that. Dunno why, cause the stuff is everwhere. Can't wait for spring, but there should be some good photo opportunities this weekend. I'll put some up soon.

February 24, 2009

So one of the only people that read my blog complained that I haven't updated it in over a month. Too much stuff is going on for me to really go over everything.

Today I worked on some reports that were due tomorrow and the company told me what the reports needed at 3pm today.

I've got to get a system that I’ve been working on in my spare time ready for work, without any user testing by next Monday, also in my own spare time. So that's what I’ll be doing tonight, and most nights this week and the weekend. Well, apart from the cocktail night tomorrow and catching up with running friends on Friday. And the drinking running thing on Sunday. So I guess I can't complain too much. I'm just glad I have a job.

The company is closer and closer to going national, so this means that the software I’m working on will probably go national too. So a lot of the development process stuff is being worked on too. So there's a shite load to work on. Got my yearly review tomorrow. The precedent has been set that no one in the company gets a raise, but I’ll see what I can do. Since the work I’m doing directly influences how the company will prosper in the future, it would be good to have part of my wage reflect that.

Went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras last weekend, which was pretty damn awesome, but I think next year I’ll need to stay in a hotel in bourbon street and really get into it.

The new flatmate stuff is going well. Saving a fair bit of money. These days I’m barely home, so having to pay less for the place is great.

What else? I guess it's time for random shout outs:

ST: hope to see you if you and your misses come over from London mate! You've got a place to stay here.

LP: Same goes with you too!

BL: and you! Hope Vintage work gets better. Only a few months to go!

KK: March 21st eh? Wow, time goes fast. See you tomorrow for cocktails!

January 20, 2009

Pretty quiet week last week, just working hard and getting set up at home. Just doing a lot of testing for the system we installed before I left.

Trying to get back into the blogging swing of things, but between work, the "biggest loser" comp my flat mate and I started, sorting out my apartment and the endless zombie horde on left4dead, there's not been much time.

BL, the little bro is trying to get me back into WOW, but I'm not sure. Prefer zombie movies to being a fat git on a computer.

Went to see a Celtics game last night and it was amazing! Got to see Shaq! And KG and Pierce and Rondo. The Sun got destroyed though. Shaq still did some seriously dominating rejections though. BAM!

Saw the new president get sworn in today, it was pretty cool. I'm amazed at the crowds and set up they have. SO BIG!

January 02, 2009

After a very long hiatus, this blog is finally being written again. It's currently 2am in the morning at Kuala Lumpur, and I'm finding out (again) just how bad the internet connections are here. Bah.

Anyways, I hope you had a great New Years Eve, and I'm sorry if I didn't get a chance to catch up with you if I missed you while I was in Perth. It's hard to catch up with everyone.

Now, onto New Years Resolutions. (y'know, the things that people say they will do each year, but never get around to it?) Hopefully by putting them up here I might stick them.

1. Lose about 10-15 kilograms / 20-30 pounds (I want to get down to 85kg/180 pounds)2. Keep in contact with people from Perth more often.3. Get to the GQM goals I've set for myself (I think I've got them lying around someplace...)4. Instead of playing video games, I want to develop one this year, two if I'm lucky.5. Ditto for medical software. Gotta start making my own IP.6. Save at least $300 a month. This should be possible now with the move to a different place.7. Join a sports team (maybe Aussie Rules, maybe dragon boating.)8. Join a volunteer organization/start doing more volunteering. (Peferrably at an Elder Care Center or Hospital)

Wow, that's a pretty big list.

What do you guys have for new years resolutions? Feel free to write your own in the comments/write disparaging comments about my resolutions. Either or.

Oh, yeah, I forgot. I'll be putting the Santa Speedo run photos up here when I get to Boston. Ahh, good times.

December 01, 2008

If you're a regular reader/friend and have already been hit with an e-mail or facebook event asking you to donate money to homeless kids for Christmas, I'm sorry for this post. If you're not, then you are the person I'm trying to reach.....

HI THERE!

Donate money and you can see all this, but in Red Speedo form!

For only a few dollars, you can see a beautiful LCD tan the likes of which you have never seen!Red speedos so large, you wonder if they will stay on!A santa hat so big, you'll never look at a santa hat the same way again!

At 1pm, on the 13th of December at Lir in Boston, the Great Santa Speedo Run will comence! Hundreds of people will be running in bathers through Newbury Street to raise money for Cradles to Crayons, who donates items to homeless kids for Christmas.

If I get over $500 dollars, I'll put the video of this up on YouTube, and leave it here forever. Also, The video will be up on YouTube, so I have to explain the video during every interview I will ever have for the rest of my life.

I'm currently at $300, so there's only $200 to go! Visit this site, or the fundraising widget on the side or below to start donating!